... i bought my first nikon, a nikkormat ftn, in 1971 ... in the beginning my "mentors," so to speak, were the staff photographers of national geographic, and thus it was in my dreams to someday have tucked in my camera bag a sample of each of the very expensive nikon lenses they all used in their work ... top of the list was the nikkor 300mm, but, with its breath stopping price, and that in my wedding photography it wasn't a lens i really needed, i could never quite rationalize purchasing one for myself ...
... welcome to the new century ... !!! ... i did a bit of "pin money" computer work, and, seeing that i'd reached the limitations of my trusty tamron sp 300mm, i decided to troll on ebay to see if i could pick up a now ancient used nikkor 300mm ... after two weeks of watching, waiting, and resisting raising my bids when others were willing to pay more, i finally grabbed a 9+/10 rated nikkor ai 300mm f/4.5 ... truth be told, if i was assessing the lens i'd be tempted to give it a "like new" rating ... it even came with the original, and rather rare, metal nikon lens cap ... how much ... ??? ... well, let's just say that at $129, including postage, i could easily relist it on ebay and make a tidy profit ...
... this afternoon i went for a little wanderabout town to test the lens ... on my fuji x-t's aps-c sensor the lens is equivalent to a powerful 450mm, so i carried it mounted on my manfrotto monopod ... for sure this was a bit of an experiment, since it's quite clear that this lens is most definitely meant to be used secured atop a very solid tripod ...
... still, off i went ...
... down by the railroad tracks i experimented with holding the lens steady ...
... from the wire bridge, deck swaying rather sharply in the brisk wind, i snapped a picture of the old scott mill ... here was once manufactured a significant percentage of america's toilet paper ...
... i stopped to admire the little park in winslow ...
... as i walked the railroad tracks a tiny robin hopped along in front of me, reminding me that spring is finally here ...
... looking back through the railroad trestle ... someday i will walk across this bridge, if for no other reason than i would have done so when i was fifteen ...
... i attempted a quick snapshot with the lens, something for which it's not really designed ...
... in the middle of the memorial bridge i took a few minutes to watch the kennebec river flow over the dam ...
... in a few months, after the snow in the mountains is all melted, the flow of the river will be greatly decreased ...
... just before i crossed the street in front of my apartment i noticed this dog enjoying the afternoon sun as he patiently awaited his owner ...
... i think i will keep the lens ...